Something was up. It was obvious, really, because lately everyone had been acting like they had the dirtiest, darkest secret hidden in their back pocket. And Artemis knew a thing or two about secrets.

So really, who was she to judge? No one on the team knew her shady past or her biological similarities to Sportsmaster. They didn't know that she had toed the line of good and evil and still laid awake at night mulling over her decisions. They didn't know that every time her father's name was mentioned, her heart started to race with reminiscent fear. They didn't know that she had to hold back tears in her eyes when her sister walked away again.

So, she could respect the decision to keep secrets. Sometimes it was necessary, no matter how much you might trust someone. Secrets were like band aids; they temporarily stop the bleeding until you're ready to treat the wound completely. Sometimes they get ripped off too soon, and others fester and get infected because they were left on too long.

Secrets were something she had accepted a long time ago.

But damn it if the curiosity didn't nag at her gut every time she saw one of her teammates do something strange. And not just the normal strange, but the really out there strange.

Like really out there.

Like Wally suddenly going all alpha wolf on the Batman of all people.

What the hell was up with that?

At first Artemis had just thought she was reading too much into the red head's defensive posture, but then it happened again. And again. Wally was purposefully going toe to toe with the Dark Knight.

It started with some strange possessiveness towards their youngest team member. Artemis had brushed it off as over the top bromance at first, which had apparently been her mistake. After a week of nonstop Wally-on-Watch, the archer knew that something serious was up. She knew Kaldur had caught on too, because they would exchange questioning glances over the boys' heads every time. Judging from his eyes, Kaldur was apparently just as clueless as her, and twice as worried.

She didn't like to admit it, but she was getting worried too. This…whatever it was the team had going, was becoming familiar. Artemis didn't like change, and just before she would drift off at night maybe she could admit that that wasn't the only reason she was worried.

So she started losing a little sleep; just an hour or two each night, but in the life of a junior hero that was a lot. Especially since she would only get that much on a particularly taxing day.

The young archer didn't know what was wrong, but when she lined the pieces up in her head she didn't like the picture it painted. Maybe it was because of her own troubled past that made her thoughts turn so dark, but once the idea was lodged into her brain it grew like a virus.

And then every time she looked at the Boy Wonder she would imagine bruises painted on his pale skin in purples and yellows. She imagined scars trailing down his back in neat little columns and tiny perfectly circular burns lining his chest. Worst of all she thought of the little bird curled up into a tight ball, crying himself to sleep through the pain and exhaustion of his mentor's 'teachings'.

Her ignorance of it all made her sick to her stomach. If it was true, how had she missed it? And why hadn't Wally told anybody? Would they even believe him if he did?

No. A simple answer. That just wasn't how the system worked. She knew that for a fact.

But it couldn't be true. Batman would never abuse his partner.

Would he?

It was during a debriefing that things finally came to head, and by then Artemis could barely look at Robin without guilt swelling in her veins.

"Kid Flash, that's enough. Robin doesn't need you to supervise everything he says and does." Batman had finally called the freckled boy out.

"Yea well I wouldn't have to if it wasn't for you!" Wally pointed his finger accusatorily as the Dark Knight and took a step into Robin's personal space. The Boy Wonder sighed but didn't dare step in. Artemis and the others kept silent and watched the exchange with wide eyes.

"I have done nothing to warrant this behavior." Batman was strangely calm, and almost placating.

"Like hell you haven't!" Wally was worked up now, and his best friend laid a hand on his shoulder. There was a moment of silence that hung in the air like carbon monoxide.

"Come with me, the both of you. We will talk in private." Batman gestured to his protégé and to the young speedster before briskly walking away toward the hanger. The teens followed him, Robin easing Wally along as if to reassure him.

As they turned down the hall and disappeared from view Artemis decided that she didn't like this situation at all.

If her worst nightmares were true, which she really hoped they weren't, then another victim was about to be made.

And she had a choice that had practically already made itself.

She had spent years as her father's punching bag. She would be damned if she let two pieces of new life be lost to the same circumstances. She waited a heartbeat and then moved, making her was as inconspicuously to the kitchen as she could.

It took her under a minute to get there and then another 30 seconds to get the grate above the stove off the ceiling. Before she could climb up though, there was a hand on her shoulder holding her back. She almost groaned out loud and contemplated elbowing whoever had stopped her so she could hurry.

Behind her was Kaldur, his face grim and his eyes determined.

"Ok, I know it's not right to eavesdrop, but seriously, back off." She mustered up as much sass as she could and met his steely gaze with her own. His hand dropped off but he didn't look deterred.

"You misunderstand Artemis. I wish to join you." A moment of stunned silence passed and she was sure her jaw was about to hit the ground and then just keep going. "I have sent the others to the workout room to begin training, but they are unnerved."

Artemis had no words, so she just nodded and hoisted herself up into the air vents. Kaldur clambered up behind her and replaced the grate after him.

"I remember the way. Just follow me, and keep quiet", she urged and then set forth on her hands and knees. After the whole Red betrayal, she had made sure to pay extra attention to the schematics of the base in case something similar ever happened. Her father had taught her to always know of an escape route and she had foolishly disregarded his advice and chalked it up to his villainous ways. She wouldn't make that mistake again.

It wasn't long before they heard their teammates voices echo through the metal and as they sidled up to the grate above the hanger, the voices became clear. Artemis gestured with her finger to her lips for silence once more to Kaldur and he nodded before turning his attention to the heroes below.

"-taking advantage of him! He's only just barely turned fourteen!" Wally was seething and Artemis really hoped it wasn't what it sounded like.

"Dude, calm down. I already told you it's not like that." Robin looked positively exasperated.

"Then how is it? Cause all I can see is a grown man molesting a teenager."

Oh god. Artemis felt nausea swell in her stomach but she didn't dare looks away to see if Kaldur was having a similar reaction.

"No one is being molested, Wally. You need to calm down and be reasonable. We are more than willing to be completely honest, given the circumstances. " Batman's voice was smooth, as if they were only discussing the weather.

Wally took a few deep breaths and Artemis could see his shoulder's shaking. "It's kinda hard when my best friend is…is…I don't even know!" The speedster bit out through clenched teeth and ran his hands through his hair.

"Wally I know it seems weird and all, but I promise you, everything we do is completely consensual. If anything Batman is overly cautious about everything." Robin sounded so sincere. So mature.

"You mean you've…!" Wally's face scrunched up with shock and distaste. After a moment Robin's face lit up like a torch and he gestured wildly with him hands.

"No! No no no we haven't… uh… you know." The Boy Wonder's face was scarlet and Batman sighed heavily. "I'm only fourteen dude."

"Oh…" Wally looked embarrassed too as he fidgeted with his hands. "Uh, good then."

"The point of this conversation is to reassure you. In order to do that, we have to know what exactly you aren't confident with." The Dark Knight remained where he was and Artemis had trouble believing that he was seriously about to talk Kid Flash into letting him molest a minor.

"I just…I don't know." Wally shrunk under the pressure, looking lost. "When Rob first told me he asked me to trust him. To trust his judgment." He paused and met Batman's eyes. "I don't want to. Every instinct tells me to grab him and run away." He took a deep breath and glanced to his friend. " But I do trust him. I trust him with my life every time we suit up and he hasn't let me down. Ever." His gaze turned to steel and he turned back to the mentor. "And neither have you."

Silence followed and Artemis was holding her breath waiting for the next word.

"So you're ok with this?" Robin ventured hopefully.

Wally scratched the back of his neck in thought. "I don't know yet. I just…it's a lot to take in ya know?" He smiled uneasily.

Robin grinned and threw his arms around his best friend with a chuckle. Robin was taking that as a yes. He couldn't have meant yes. Wally couldn't be okay with this.

"You won't regret this, I promise. Really I swear under all that Kevlar Batman's just a big softy. And he's always careful to let me decide the terms of everything in case I'm uncomfortable with anything and I swear he won't take advantage of me cause-" Robin was cut off as Wally swung his arms in a wide arc and broke away.

"Whoa dude chill. I said it's a lot to take in. Not that everything was A-OK." The red head crossed his arms and puffed out his chest. " I still plan to be a major pain in the butt while you're here and I am making it mandatory that you tell me everything. I don't want you in some kinky abuse relationship and you don't even know it." He turned his gaze to the adult in the room. "And if you hurt him-"

"I understand. I expect nothing less." Batman nodded and somehow they didn't need to say anything more about that.

"Hey wait, does this mean I can blackmail you guys?" The red head asked hopefully, an uneasy grin on his face.

"Not a chance. But, you can definitely have better secret ID privileges now, right B?" Robin looked devious and Artemis had no doubt he hadn't run this by his mentor until just now. "I mean now that he knows we are dating and we have his blessing he'll wanna check up on me and make sure everything is aster and all." Wally's face was lit up with joy as he looked to the vigilante for approval.

"We'll see." Was his only response, but his jaw was set in a resigned way.

"That's a yes!" Robin laughed and pulled his friend close for a hug, which Wally eagerly received. "And this way you can really see that everything is fine." The Boy Wonder looked content and relieved beyond belief; as if his friend's approval meant the world to him. "We can set up plans later, but for right now let's go make sure the other's aren't tearing apart the place in suspense."

Robin giggled and detached himself from his friend before darting down the hanger towards the door. He paused only a few steps out and then rushed back. He then jumped into Batman's arms and planted a chaste kiss on his lips with a grin. Wally stood with his mouth agape as the protégé then pranced away down the hall, calling back for the speedster to hurry up.

Artemis had about the same reaction and she glanced back and forth between the two remaining occupants as a moment passed.

Then Wally grinned, fake disgust on his face and yelled after his friend. "Robin that's gross! Don't do that kinda stuff where I can see it!" He then sped off after him, leaving Batman alone in the hanger.

Artemis was too frightened to move, but she knew her and Kaldur's disappearance would be noticed soon of they didn't get moving. But Batman was just standing there. If they moved now, he would definitely hear them.

Then he looked up and Artemis felt her breath catch in her throat. Beside her Kaldur also froze as the white eyes of the bat mask peered directly at them. Could Batman hear her heart wildly slamming against her ribcage?

They'd been caught and now that they knew what would he do to them? Suddenly his Kevlar suit seemed much more menacing. Rough lines of black all converging to make something almost inhuman. The pounding in her head was getting louder and louder, yet Artemis refused to draw a breath in fear that it would trigger some sort of chase instinct within the vigilante.

"I'd appreciate if the both of you could be discreet about what you've just witnessed." He paused as if either of them would reply. "Should you have any concerns, I ask that you please take them up with me personally."

Then he was gone down the same hall the two sidekicks had just disappeared through.

Artemis took a gasping breath at last and felt the pressure in her head release as it absorbed the much needed oxygen. Kaldur laid a hand on her shoulder and she could almost feel his sympathetic gaze.

The Atlantian reached down and unlatched the air vent with little trouble. Artemis jumped through at his gesture and then made it until he landed beside her to start freaking out.

"Did we just- Robin! And he's- Kaldur, we have to-" Her limbs felt numb and her tongue didn't seem to be functioning either. She also knew her voice was tangled in the very same dread that was curling through her entire body. Oh God, what were they going to do?

"Artemis, you must calm yourself. You are nearly hysterical." Kaldur was always so gentle, so concerned. So why wasn't he reacting to this? How was he calm?

"Hysterical? I think I kind of have a right to be! We just-" Her voice caught in her throat, but she pushed through it with her anger. "We just saw something horrific!"

Her leader looked confused. Oh no. Oh no no no no no.

"I know that Batman can be quite intimidating, but he did not seem particularly angry about our breach of trust. I'm sure he understands the necessity of our endeavor."

Artemis couldn't believe this. Kaldur didn't even seem fazed. He thought she was practically frothing over Batman's intimidation skills. It was like he had completely disregarded the fact that his teammate was in a (horriblebadfilthy) relationship with his mentor.

"Kaldur! Did you just miss the whole molestation of a minor that just went down? The god damn Batman is creeping on Robin." The outrage and disbelief was pouring out of her mouth. Still, though, he didn't look as if she had just pointed out such a blatant act of evil.

"You are mistaken, my friend," he said with a frown. "Batman made it clear to Kid Flash that that is not the case. From their conversation it is obvious that their relationship is completely consensual." He laid a hand on her shoulder as if that would ease her mind.

"What? Kaldur that doesn't matter! It's illegal and immoral. For all we know Robin may only be saying its consensual because he's afraid to say otherwise."

The Atlantian looked hurt by her accusation. " Artemis, Batman would never hurt Robin. He is a respected League member and also our team advisor. To insinuate such a thing…"

"Okay, Kaldur, I don't know how these things work under the sea, but up here, people just don't go around kissing their fourteen year old sidekicks." How did he not understand this?

"Yes, well, such things don't generally happen in Atlantis either." Ok so she could rule out cultural differences. So why was he being so cavalier about this?

"Then great. We're on the same page, and we need to go talk to the police or the league or-"

"No. We were asked not to. We should respect Batman's wish to keep this matter private." Kaldur interrupted and crossed his arms. He was defending a child molester. Her righteous leader that she had come to see as an older brother of sorts was saying that this was okay.

"Kaldur…what-" But he didn't let her question get through her lips as he interrupted again.

"I am fully aware of surface world customs regarding such relationships. Atlantis views them much the same way. But I'd like to tell you what my King has told me." He paused and she could do nothing but nod blankly in shock and let him continue.

"When I first began this life, my King took me to the surface world and introduced me to the League. Among those I met were Batman and Robin. Even then I realized how close they were; how much they meant to each other. It was as if the very universe had fated their partnership. They were not dubbed the Dynamic Duo for nothing. They earned their title and at first I was foolishly jealous of the bond they had formed. I asked my King, 'Could we ever be like them?' My King took me aside and told me very assuredly 'No'." Kaldur paused as if he were reliving the very memory he spoke of.

" But that is not all he said. My King explained that the bond Batman and Robin have is very rare and very unique. He said that there is no term in English or Atlantian that properly describes such a bond. He said they are partners in every sense of the word. A pair of brothers, a mentor and a student, a father and a son. Like yin and yang, two parts of the same whole. " Kaldur's hand dropped from her shoulder and Artemis felt his words in her very veins. She knew what he would say next. "My King also said that one day, they would be lovers. That they would be misunderstood and ridiculed, but that it was inevitable. He told me to be open and accepting, as we are with all foreign cultures. It is not our place to judge that which we may never understand. "

Artemis stared at the floor, her fists clenched. Kaldur did believe that this was a good thing. He thought that whatever Batman and Robin had together was something to be admired and congratulated. Like a fucking blessing. Tears stung behind her eyes and her memories flashed through her mind. Was it horrible that she wanted to think it was good too?

"How can…" She cleared her throat to try to clear the tremor from her voice. "How am I supposed to just let this go? You're asking me to keep this a secret, and you're saying all these things but…" She looked up into his blue eyes, searching for an easy answer for her conflicted emotions.

"I'm afraid I cannot answer that question for you. It is something that you must figure out for yourself Artemis." His sympathy and pity were practically dripping out of his gills. Then he was walking away and she alone in the hanger.

With old memories dredged up and her thoughts in shambles, Artemis wept silently to the empty room.

"…what if you're wrong?"

Poor Artemis. I definitely implied past sexual abuse on her part in case that wasn't clear. Also, was iffy with this chapter and it still didn't come out how it played out in my mind. I may edit this later on but for now I'll leave it as is, seeing as you all have waited forever for this. Also the new episode was adorable. I love Billy and seeing all the kids and adults worrying so much was just cute. Sad ending though =[ Anyway, I would love to hear your thoughts on this and sorry if they seem a little out of character. I know I probably am crossing some kind of line by bringing up all the child molestation stuff, but its a very key point in the plot. You shouldn't be reading this if you don't realize that its a relationship between an adult and a minor. My standpoint on that is a whole other story though, so whatever. Hope you enjoy.